Freshman phenom places 7th in historic state title run

Congratulations to Eric Hudson, Jr. on a history making season for North Meck. The freshman phenom fell one point short in the championship quarterfinals against the #2 ranked wrestler in the state in triple overtime Friday afternoon. In what had been his trademark, dramatic matches, Hudson had been down 7-3 and battled back to tie it at 10 before overtime. Hudson re-grouped and captured a 9-5 victory in his first consolation match. After battling a stomach virus the same night, this courageous freshman laced up and battled the next day but took a tough 8-3 loss to the #4 ranked wrestler in the consolation quarterfinals to end his season. This young man is the first North Meck freshman wrestler to win any varsity level tournaments including the Al Kessie county tournament, Pirate Invitational, USMC Clash at the Creek, Mecka 4A Conference and Western Regional tournaments. His placing 7th at the NCHSAA State Tournament also makes him the highest placing North Meck freshman wrestler ever and ties the last North Meck wrestler to place at the state tournament freshman or otherwise, Mr. Jalen Hill in 2013. When asked about the season Hudson reflected on just how hard the season was on him and was very thankful for his head coach Chris Hilton, his practice partners which included the aforementioned Mr. Hill and his teammates for all their support.

Freshman Phenom does it again!

Congratulations to Eric Hudson, Jr. on winning the 2016 4A Western Regional 182lb Championship! The freshman phenom battled his way through the bottom half of a bracket that included a Holy Angels Tournament placer (a tournament in which Hudson did not place) and the #6 ranked wrestler in the state just to get to the finals. Both matches were extremely close, but Hudson refused to be denied and managed to walk away with the win with less than 10 seconds remaining in both the quarter and semifinals. Apparently just making it into the regional finals and insuring his place at the state tournament as a freshman wasn't compelling enough for Hudson. He found himself down 7-1 after the first period in the finals but in typical fashion, according to his coach Chris Hilton, he just kept fighting. Hudson faught all the way back and took a 9-10 lead with 24 seconds left in the match completing the most dramatic comeback in the finals. Last week Hudson was one of three North Meck wrestlers to qualify for regionals since 2013 and this week he will be the first since then to compete for a title at the North Carolina State Tournament. Good Luck EJ!

Eric Hudson, Jr. captures 2016 4A Western Regional Championship

Hard work pays off for Vikings in Mecka 4A Conference Wrestling Tournament

The 2016 Mecka 4A Conference Wrestling Tournament was held this past weekend and nobody expected this young Viking squad to be represented so well. Congratulations to Zane Dunlap, Charles "LA" Rosser and Eric Hudson, Jr. for bringing home the hardware this weekend! Rosser, a freshman, cracked the starting lineup at 160lbs when sophomore Caleb Sanders suffered a season-ending injury to his arm. Losing his opening round match to the eventual conference champion, Rosser re-grouped and fought his way through the consolation bracket to place third - his second of the season, but his first in the varsity division. Dunlap, the lone senior of the squad, came into the tournament hoping to find a way to turn his season around and did just that after an opening round loss. Dunlap battled his way through the 152lb consolation bracket and placed third by beating a Mallard Creek wrestler he hadn't had any success against in three matchups this season. With one conference loss on the season to an A.L. Brown wrestler, Hudson, Jr. had been looking forward to the rematch. The opportunity came in the semifinals and the freshman phenom didn't waste it, he got the win and then won the 182lb conference championship in the finals by pin in an overtime thriller. The freshman phenom has now racked up 4 tournament championships and a gaudy 30-4 record on the season and has his sights locked on the regional tournament being held in two weeks.

Young Vikings attend 2016 Holy Angels Tournament

At the 2016 Holy Angels Tournament, these young Vikings wrestled with heart but ultimately came up short of placing on the varsity side. However, they did send one sole representative to the podium on the JV side, congratulations to Charles "LA" Rosser on his 3rd place finish. Rosser, a freshman, came up short in the semifinals, but fought his way back through the consolation bracket to grab third place.

Young Vikings picking up notable wins in winter tournament competition

The Vikings wrestling squad has competed in three tournaments the past two weeks and although they’ve been hampered by injuries as a team, they’ve managed to turn a few heads individually. Congratulations to Neco Cawthorn on picking up his first win and his first pin during the Pirate Invitational tournament held at Porter Ridge high school on Saturday, Dec. 19th. Cawthorn, a freshman, managed to break into the starting line-up and by all signs isn’t looking back. Congratulations to sophomore Caleb Sanders on his upset win over the #1 seed in last week’s Clash at the Creek tournament held at Mallard Creek high school last Tuesday and Wednesday Dec 22nd & 23rd. Falling just short of the medal round, Sanders made it clear that he will be a force to be reckoned with during the stretch run of the season. Congratulations again to Eric Hudson, Jr. on winning both the Pirate Invitational and the Clash at the Creek tournaments. The freshman phenom racked up two more tournament championships with victories over some of the best senior wrestlers CMS has to offer. Now 17-2 on the season, Hudson, Jr. continues to find ways to compete against young men 2-4yrs older and typically taller than him and come out on-top. While excited about the individual successes, Coach Hilton is still seeking a more consistent team performance as there is always a team competition at these tournaments. The Vikings are gearing up for what will be their biggest tournament yet, Holy Angels held at the Bojangles Coliseum on the first two days of 2016. Good Luck Vikings!

Congratulations to Eric Hudson, Jr. on winning 1st place at the 2015 Al Kessie Mecklenberg County Tournament

Young Vikings squad off to stellar start

With more freshman than upperclassmen on this year's Viking squad, the expectations for this team was and still is extremely low. However, with a dual team record of 2-3 this young Viking squad led currently by lone senior Zane Dunlap, has already eclipsed last year's record and is not done yet. According to head coach Chris Hilton, they have a shot at surprising some teams and finishing over .500 for the season. Individually, these Vikings feature Eric Hudson, Jr., a freshman phenom with some national recognition but unproven at this level. Hudson, a three sport athlete also playing football & baseball, is off to a blazing 3-1 start and captured first place this past weekend at the 2015 Al Kessie Meckelenberg County tournament. Coach Hilton, in his first season at N. Meck, has high expectations for this team and believes through hard work, this program has a bright future.